Football is finally here and the Thursday night tasting reminded me why I forgo all other things in life to bow down at the altar of greatness that is the Georgia Bulldogs.

It also means that the Bubba ' N Earl 2010 Top 100 Countdown of the 100 greatest players in UGA history is finally over.

A massive amount of work and man hours went into it, with everyone here contributing throughout the entire process (you can't imagine the discussions that were carried out between four or five Dawg fans over picking 100 players, and then assembling them in some sort of order).

However, the idea belongs to Streit, he definitely put in the most effort (along with Mrs. Streit) to seeing this thing done, and it would have never been completed without him.

Kudos to Streit, and in his honor, I promise not to make fun of him one single time during the tailgate tomorrow. Okay, that's not realistic, so I promise to TRY and not make fun of him once tomorrow.

Arguably the greatest player in college football history, if you don't know who Herschel Walker is then you should not be reading this blog. I could go on about his accomplishments, but that just wouldn't do him justice. Here's a look back at Herschel's career:

Asmentioned before, I am currently in law school in Columbia. The Southern Mississippi/SC game was in fact the first opportunity I have had to attend a game in Williams-Brice Stadium. I approached it more as a dry run for next weekend's game, scouting out our opponent for the Dawgs...

As a tailgating note, if I had to describe the tailgating scene around Columbia in one word, here's what I'd pick: Jacksonville. I did have a great time tailgating with some SC fraternity friends and associated coeds. But at the end of the day, Columbia is inundated with railroad tracks and warehouses, and Williams-Brice is surrounded by acres of asphalt. Michael Adams, be aware: while North Campus may occasionally get sullied, at least Sanford Stadium isn't located in the Crock-Pot of the South, surrounded by cotton warehouses, CSX tracks, and more warehouses. Hopefully we'll be able to fully reclaim North Campus under some sort of regulated, registered system within the next few seasons.

Also, I think this was the first time I had ever seen people watching a college baseball highlight reel at a football tailgate. If SC won anything beyond a baseball title (ie a SEC football Championship), I'm pretty sure that the entire city of Columbia would implode and the entire universe collapse on itself. Maybe even if they added a few 10-win seasons to their record book...

Strange resemblance to Alltel Stadium...

While the game, score-wise, appears lopsided for the Gamecocks, they ran a majority of the game out of the shotgun formation, with multiple receivers spread wide. Obviously SC did not want to give away any major new wrinkles to their playbook (or throw too many loops at Connor Shaw), but I feel like the one fundamental thing that they needed to do and perform against Southern Miss, they fell short. South Carolina needed to dominate at the line of scrimmage and run the ball; while they did rack up 237 rushing yards, they lost on time of possession to Southern Miss (28:57-31:03).

82 out of the 237 yards came from Florida-esque QB runs up the middle, and additionally 52 extra yards came on one scamper by an SC RB. If SC can't run the ball down the throats of a mediocre Conference USA opponent primarily through their running backs and control the time of possession, I would be a little worried if I was Spurrier.

I will say though that there is somewhat of a buzz starting to build in Columbia for the UGA game next Saturday.

While the UGA-SC game is still not sold out (go ahead and buy your ticket; Columbia is a short drive from GA), I had a die-hard SC student tell me that his rival list ranked as: 1) Tennessee 2) UGA 3) Osama Bin Laden 4) Clemson. Evidently IPTAY holding the lead in the overall series by 27 games ranks behind hunting international terrorists...

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by one of the editors over at the new SB Nation - Atlanta page to do a feature article as part of their 2010 College Football Kickoff Week. The article is up this morning and it concerns the impact that the hiring of Vince Dooley had on the rivalry with Georgia Tech.

It’s week one of the college football season and that means out of conference match ups and cupcake blowouts. South Carolina continues to act like an ACC school by kicking off the season at home on a Thursday night. The other major story around the SEC seems to be the QB position: Arkansas has a Heisman candidate in Ryan Mallett; Jordan Jefferson looks to finally live up to his potential at LSU; new quarterbacks at Georgia, Auburn, and Florida; Spurrier’s lack of faith in Stephen Garcia; and I still have no clue who will be under center at Tennessee. Here’s our take on this week’s games around the SEC:

Southern Mississippi at South CarolinaSpread: Carolina by 14Story Lines: Lots of people have asked whether this will be the year that Steve Spurrier finally gets South Carolina over the hump. He’ll head into his first game without a clear picture at quarterback and missing his All-SEC tight end, Weslye Saunders. Southern Miss went 7-6 last season, but won’t have enough to beat the Cocks at home.Prediction: South Cackalacky 38, Southern Miss 21

Miami (OH) at #4 FloridaSpread: Florida by 35Story Lines: John Brantley replaces Jesus, I mean Tim Tebow, at quarterback for the Gators. The talented Florida team will have no trouble putting Ben Rothlisberger’s alma matter faster than he put down a drunk sorority in Milledgeville last summer.Prediction: Florida 62, Miami 10

Kentucky at LouisvilleSpread: Kentucky by 3Story Lines: Both teams have new head coaches as the bluegrass state rivalry renews once again. Charlie Strong brought in a lot of recruits that should help turn around the Cardinals program over the next few years, but Joker Phillips has my new least favorite player in the SEC: Randall Cobb. Kentucky wins a close one.Prediction: Kentucky 27, Louisville 21

Jacksonville State at Ole MissSpread: No lineStory Lines: It looks like it is back to the drawing board for Houston Nutt after Jeremiah Masoli was ruled ineligible on Tuesday. Ole Miss catches a break playing a 1-AA school in week one and should not be threatened.Prediction: Ole Miss 42, Jacksonville State 17Tennessee-Martin at TennesseeSpread: No LineStory Lines: Derek Dooley will get to beat up a directional school at home for his first game on the sidelines in Knoxville. Tennessee typically likes to put up as many points as humanly possible in its cupcake openers, so expect them to score often. Plus, their bench is so shallow, there are not a lot of back ups to actually put in the game in the second half (I’m kidding!).Prediction: Tennessee 56, UT-Martin 10

Arkansas State at AuburnSpread: Auburn by 31Story Lines: New Auburn quarterback Cam Newton takes the helm with high expectation from the War Tiger faithful. Gus Malzahn’s offense put up a lot of points last fall, but Auburn fans hope for an improved defense in 2010. Newton should have a field day and put up huge stats and the Tigers will cover the spread…barely.Prediction: Auburn 55, Arkansas State 23

Tennessee Tech at ArkansasSpread: No lineStory Lines: Arkansas takes the field as the 2010 version of Ole Miss, with high expectations on the offense and quarterback Ryan Mallett. As Georgia fans saw last fall, Tennessee Tech is not just a 1-AA school but a bad 1-AA school. Petrino leaves Mallett in the game until the fourth but the Arkansas defense continues to give up too many yards to bad teams.Prediction: Arkansas 63, Tennessee Tech 20San Jose State at AlabamaSpread: Alabama by 37Story Lines: Alabama opens its title defense without Heisman winner Mark Ingram, but it won’t matter. Crimson Tide fans have been saying that Trent Richardson is a better overall back anyway so now is the time to prove it. The Tide celebrate their championship and open the title defense with a big victory. Look for a solid day from quarterback Greg McElroy as well.Prediction: Alabama 48, San Jose State 3

Memphis at Mississippi StateSpread: Mississippi State by 21.5Story Lines: Memphis has not been very good since Deangelo Williams left a few years ago. People keep saying Mississippi State is on the rise under Coach Dan Mullen. We’ll see how they have improved. I expect a Bulldog victory, but not the blowout everyone expects.Prediction: Mississippi State 34, Memphis 24

Northwestern at VanderbiltSpread: Northwestern by 5.5Story Lines: After a narrow loss to Auburn in the Outback Bowl, Northwestern looks for its third straight winning season under Pat Fitzgerald. The Wildcats must replace star quarterback Mike Kafka and his 3000+ passing yards from a year ago. Vanderbilt enters the season with new coach Robbie Caldwell after the surprising resignation of Bobby Johnson. The line is close, but I see Northwestern winning this one easily.Prediction: Northwester 35, Vanderbilt 21

LSU vs. North Carolina (at the Georgia Dome)Spread: Line not releasedStory Lines: North Carolina was expected to have one of the best defenses in the country this year with NFL caliber talent at many positions. But Agentgate threw a wrench in those plans. Throw in recent allegations of academic fraud and Butch Davis’ team that was so highly regarded is now covered in shadows. On the flip side, many think Les Miles may be finally leaving LSU after this season to take the Michigan job he should have taken back in 2007. The typically stout LSU defense was horrible in ’09, but should be more experienced this fall. Patrick Petersen may be the best defensive player in the SEC. Look for a close game, but if Jordan Jefferson can find a rhythm, LSU may win this rather easily.Prediction: LSU 27, North Carolina 17

Louisiana-Lafayette at GeorgiaSpread: Georgia by 28Story Lines: The debut of Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense and redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray highlight Georgia’s 2010 season opener. The Dawgs will be without running back WashaunEaley and receiver Tavarres King, which will only result in more yards for Caleb King and AJ Green. Georgia should have a field day with the Ragin’ Cajuns, a mid level team from the Sun Belt Conference. Look for Marlon Brown and Kris Durham to also have big receiving days for the Dawgs and the debut of junior college transfer Jakar Hamilton at safety.Prediction: Georgia 52, Louisiana-Lafayette 17

In 2001, a two-star fullback from Snellville followed his good friend David Greene to Georgia to play for new coach Mark Richt. During summer practice, David Pollack was in contention for the starting fullback spot when injuries depleted the depth chart along the defensive line. At the request of Coach Richt, he switched sides of the ball and began making an immediate impact. In 2001, Pollack played primarily defensive tackle under coordinator Brian Van Gorder. He made 5 starts and earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman team, but few expected the amazing season Pollack would have the next fall.

2002 was a magical year for the Georgia Bulldogs and David Pollack was leader of one of the best defenses in the nation. Few people across the country knew who Pollack was, until Georgia traveled to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks. With Georgia struggling on offense, Pollack took things into his own hands (literally) and put the Dawgs on the score board:

From that point on, everyone knew about Pollack. The only problem was that no one could stop him. Georgia won its first SEC Championship in 20 years and Pollack was named the SEC Player of the Year (the first defensive player to win the award since 1988). He recorded a Georgia record 14 sacks and led the SEC in tackles for a loss with 23. He was also first team All-SEC and named an All-American.

While he may have been an obscure sophomore in 2002, every team knew who Pollack was by 2003. Despite facing constant double teams, Pollack had another great season on his way to a second straight All-American honor. He had 92 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 32 quarterback pressures. He was once again first team All-SEC and won the Tom Hendricks Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive end. After deciding to return for his senior season, Pollack capped his career with a banner year in ’04. He had 52 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for a loss, and 41 quarterback pressures. In his final game (the Outback Bowl) against Wisconsin, Pollack made a play similar to the one that put him on the national map. With Georgia holding a lead in the fourth quarter, he forced and recovered a fumble in midair to help seal the Georgia victory. He become only the second Georgia player to be named a three-time All American and was awarded the Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman), Hendricks trophy, and the Bednarik Trophy (nation’s best defensive player).

David Pollack will forever be remembered for his effort and performance on the field. His motor never quit moving and he could always be seen doing jumping jacks to try and fire up the Georgia faithful. He is Georgia’s all-time leader in sacks with 36 (the third highest total in NCAA history) and tackles for a loss with 58. He also had 283 tackles and 4 interceptions in 50 games (44 as a starter). He was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. After a promising rookie season, Pollack’s football career was ended in early 2006. He suffered a broken neck in a game against the Browns and was unable to return to the playing field. After retiring from football, he found a home as a radio personality in Atlanta, teaming with Mike Bell on 790 the Zone. He can also be seen this fall calling college football games for ESPN.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The recent news of an escaped rattlesnake from the Atlanta Zoo that ended up dead on the front porch of a Grant Park home reminded me of a classic Athens Banner Herald column from the legendary Dan Magill three years ago. Sometime in the 1930s Magill and his childhood friend, Herschel Carithers, promoted a snake fight on the tennis courts, then located in front of LeConte Hall.

Bedlam, rivalries, war, battle cries, fight songs, and good old fashion hate are soon to be upon us all!

There is just one more day of peace before the beginning of another season of college football and of course, our 3rd Annual BnE Pick 'Em! There is still time to sign up and get your picks in. Simply click on this link College Football Pick 'Em, enter the Group ID: 15552, and the Password: bubba. We have a great group this year, including some international readers!

Just a reminder to everyone, we'll be picking every SEC game of the week in addition to the top Yahoo Sports games. We will pick with confidence points but we will NOT pick with the spread. Make sure you assign the highest points to the pick with the most confidence. As an example, if UGA were to play Southwest Central South Carolina State University of Technology, and you were confident UGA would win, you would assign 25 points to this game out of 25 points. In contrast, if you found out the day before the game you're girlfriend's brother happened to be the genetic clone of Joe Montana at SWCSCSUT, and you knew the freak of nature was supported by a genetically engineered team made up of the '72 Dolphins, you'd maybe bet 1 point on UGA pulling an upset.

Paul “Bear” Bryant once called him the greatest college football player who ever lived and in 2009, ESPN named him the twentieth greatest college football player of all-time. Charles “Charley” Trippi came to Georgia in 1941 after choosing to attend LaSalle Military Academy for his first year after high school. He had originally committed to attend Georgia following high school, but his successful season at La Salle resulted multiple scholarship offers, including powerhouse Notre Dame. But Charley kept his word to Harold Ketron and enrolled in Georgia in 1941. After leading the freshman team to an undefeated season, he was ready to join a Georgia backfield that already included All-American Frank Sinkwich in 1942.

Trippi played behind Frank Sinkwich during the first half of the ’42 season, but Coach Wally Butts decided to move Sinkwich to fullback. Trippi took over as the starting tailback and the Georgia offense began running wild on other teams in the SEC. Here is what Trippi thought about the Georgia offense in ’42:

''We really had an awesome offense (after the switch),'' Trippi said. ''Frank's quickness off the ball was so devastating that you could not imagine a more effective inside runner. And his running opened up the outside lanes for me.''

Sinkwich would go on to win the Heisman trophy and Georgia finished the season 11-1 and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. Trippi had 1,239 yards of total offense (672 yards rushing and 567 yards passing) despite only starting for half the year. Georgia defeated UCLA in the Rose Bowl and Trippi was named the game MVP after gaining 130 yards on the ground. It would be the last game Trippi played at Georgia for over two years.

Trippi served in the Air Force during World War II and finally returned to Georgia for the second half of the 1945 season. Trippi took a few games to get acclimated to Coach Butts’ new t-formation offense but finally found his stroke in the regular season finale against Georgia Tech. He set an SEC record with 323 passing yards and rushed for 61 yards, totaling 384 yards of offense in the game(also an SEC record at the time). He threw a 47 yard touchdown pass and returned a punt for a touchdown to cap his junior season in the 20-6 victory over Tulsa in the Oil Bowl. During Trippi’s senior season in 1946, Georgia would go undefeated winning the SEC Championship (they were also recognized as national champions in one poll). Trippi was the team captain and often played the entire game on both offense and defense. In the Sugar Bowl victory over North Carolina, he played all 60 minutes and threw a 67 yard touchdown pass to Dan Edwards. While he did not win the Heisman, he was a consensus All-American and won the Maxwell Award, which is given annually to the best collegeiate football player in the United States. For the season, he rushed for 744 yards, had 662 yards passing, and accounted for 14 touchdowns.

Charley Trippi was the first overall pick by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1945 NFL (before he returned to Georgia for his senior season). He played a key role in the Cardinals’ 1947 NFL Championship, totaling 206 yards in the victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of the Georgia Circle of Honor, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and is one of only four Bulldogs to have his number (62) retired. He was also elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is the only member with over 1,000 yards passing, rushing, and receiving in his career.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The first Heisman Trophy winner in Georgia's history was a 5-foot-10-inch halfback from Youngstown, Ohio by way of Croatia that, strangely enough, Bulldog recruiter Bill Hartman got a lead on from a gas station attendant in the Buckeye state.

Hartman was in Ohio to recruit the state's best back but quickly learned he was planning to play for Ohio State. That's when a gas station attendant intervened, telling Hartman that the best back in Ohio wasn't that kid going to Ohio State, but a young man that lived right down the street from that gas station.

Hartman paid a visit to the Sinkwich household, and the rest as they say is history.

George Poschner, a friend of Sinkwich's from Ohio, followed him to Georgia and both played on the 1939 freshman team. The "point-a-minute Bullpups" went undefeated, and the Georgia faithful couldn't wait for those freshmen to join the varsity team.

In Sinkwich's junior year of 1941, he led the nation in rushing with 1,103 yards on 209 carries. But it was his senior in which Frank brought home almost every trophy in the land. In 1942, he set an NCAA single-season record for total offense with 2,187 yards. He was named as an All-American for the second time in his career and led the Bulldogs to a Rose Bowl victory over UCLA as Georgia captured the National Championship.

The 1942 Heisman winner was voted the top athlete in the country by the Associated Press over Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox, a year in which Williams hit for baseball's triple crown.

After graduating from UGA in 1943, Sinkwich joined the United States Marines, where he received a medical discharge due to his flat feet. He soon joined the Detroit Lions and was named NFL MVP in 1944.

The College Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 1954. Sinkwich's number 21 is only one of four numbers to be retired by UGA.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Garrison Hearst is a well noted Georgia Bulldog, but the high achieving level he attained at Georgia is often underappreciated. The Lincolnton, GA native is the #2 career rusher for the bulldogs, was a dominating, powerhouse back in the early 1990’s, and his name is emblazoned all over Georgia’s record books.

Hearst came to Georgia in 1990, and would become a leading force on the field in the SEC. Hearst would only start just over half the games his freshman and sophomore seasons, but would garner respectable numbers during both years. He would be the leading rusher for Georgia all three years he played, and was also the leading scorer on the team for the ’91 and ’92 seasons.

clip of Hearst's 50+ yard TD run in 1992 versus Ole Miss*

His junior season in 1992 was of near epic proportions. Georgia would win 10 games (with 2 close losses), and finish the season ranked #8, topped off by a Citrus Bowl victory over the Doormat of the SEC (commonly referred to as Ohio State).

Highlights of Hearst from the 1993 Citrus Bowl versus Ohio State*

Hearst would gain 1,547 rushing yards that season, and a total of 1,910 all purpose yards (placing him second in school and SEC history), as well as being the only other rusher besides Herschel to gain 1,500 yards in a season. Hearst would also set the SEC record for touchdowns in a season (21), rushing touchdowns in season (19), average gain per rush (6.8), and most points scored in a season (126). His rushing TD and average gain records still remain SEC records today.

Hearst’s national notoriety skyrocketed as he won the Doak Walker Award (given to the nation’s top running back), was voted a consensus All-American, and finished 3rd in the Heisman balloting (finishing behind Gino Torretta and Marshall Faulk).

Hearst would go on to be the 3rd overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. While sustaining injuries and health problems that limited his playing, Hearst played for 12 seasons, appeared in 2 Pro Bowls, and twice won NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

The fanaticism begins soon folks, but there is still time to sign up for the 3rd Annual BnE Pick 'Em, hosted at Yahoo this year. If you haven't already, email me here and I'll send you the invite to join the league. We've gone international this year so I know the competition will be fierce. Picks should be up Monday.

Sign up now, and help BnE restore honor to the world of college football blogging once more.

BnE: Restoring Honor to college football blogging...without Glenn Beck.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

"The best defensive player I've ever coached and maybe the best one I've ever seen," is what Vince Dooley said about Terry Hoage at an Academic All-America Hall of Fame induction. Such is fitting for a superior athlete that dominated on the field, in the class room (graduating with a 3.85 GPA), and helped Georgia dominate college football in the early 1980s.

Hoage came to the Georgia Bulldogs from Huntsville, Texas and as a freshman he was responsible for a blocked field goal in the 1981 Sugar Bowl that secured the 1980 National Championship for the Bulldogs.

Go to the 38 second mark in this video to see Hoage's blocked FG

His next three seasons saw him perform at a legendary level, as he helped guide the Bulldogs (as one of the team’s essential playmakers), in an era of Georgia football that would claim a national championship, three SEC championships, and go 43-4-1. In that time, Hoage would display his talents through such achievements as claiming the SEC record for interceptions in a season with 12 during the 1982 season, and finishing his career 3rd all time at Georgia in career interceptions.

Hoage’s college career was filled with a plethora of honors and accolades: Two time consensus All-American, two time Academic All-American, two time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, 1984 SEC Athlete of the Year Award, and also being awarded the 1984 Top V Award that is given to the country’s top student athletes. Hoage also finished 5th in the balloting for the 1983 Heisman Trophy, gaining more votes than any other defensive back had ever received up to that time.

His post-career honors continue his legend with his inductions into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, UGA’s Circle of Honor, the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame, Academic All-American Hall of Fame, and being named to the Walter Camp All Century Team.

Hoage would go on to be drafted in the 3rd round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Hoage’s professional career would last 13 seasons, where he would play for 6 teams and win a Super Bowl Championship with the 1991 Washington Redskins.

Hoage currently lives in California where he and his wife operate Terry Hoage Vineyards. As is typical with Hoage’s football career, Wine Spectator Magazine named the Hoage’s the Top New California Wine Producers for 2008.